Echo

Hallucinate

Echo POV
My lips were cracking and my breaths were ragged. The sun shone through the crowd of the dead still clawing and reaching for me.

I laid as if I was in a coffin, the imprints of the cage digging into my back. It'd been a whole day and night that I was laying here.

My blood from my wounds and the fresh blood they poured on me, from God knows where, was all dried up and tightening and crusting on my skin.

I still havnt come to terms with the fact my biological mom is to blame for this. To me she just seems like another stranger who wants to hurt me.

I knew she was evil but I didn't expect to be that evil. Who does this? Why does this?

The cage rattled and started to lift and I fell face forward putting my hands out to catch myself. The dead held my hand for a split second as I was being pulled up the wall, their cold scaly hands sending shivers down my spine. 

It seemed like forever by the time I was clanked back down onto the top of the roof. Regina, the tall woman, and the same two guys were stood in front of me.

Regina smiled, "Good morning,"

I wanted to verbally attack her but I was so parched I couldn't even hold onto another thought that wasn't : I need water. I'm thirsty.

The tall women put a straw into a bottle of water and put the straw through the bloodied cage. I immediately drank from it. The water seemed to knock me into my senses since my brain pointed out: their giving you water like your a hamster in a cage!

I took one more big gulp of water then filled my mouth up with water and spit at them. Maybe I wasn't brought to my senses.

They all flinched at the water and Regina looked up with a menacing glare. The tall women looked pissed and soaked with water, while the two guys wiped at their face.

Regina clenched her teeth and forced a laugh wiping her face, "You're a stubborn one, must've got it from me." she smirked deviously knowing the affect of her words.

I hit the cage twice really hard the cage rattling. I wished so badly this cage wasn't between us.

"If you think you're so tough..." she put her hand out to the side and one of the men put a thin screwdriver in her hand. She looked down fiddling with it,  "Then you can go down there, kill the whole horde and get pulled back up. Maybe get a job, some food." She took a deep breath with a small smile then looked up into my eyes, "Or...you can stay down there.. and die."

I forced a smile, struggling to keep my eyes open at the brightness of the day, "You think you're so clever, Don't you Regina?" my voice sounded strained.

She put the screwdriver to me still keeping her distance. She smiled grotesquely as I grabbed it and pulled it through the cage with my finger tips.

I stayed quiet as they lowered the cage back down. I can't die like this, i'm going to kill all of them like she said.

What if somehow, someday, I can get out of here. I shook my head knowing that'd only put a tail on my desired direction. And I desired to be with my family. I miss them.

The cage was set upright, and I knew it'd fall on its side eventually, like before.

When the cage hit the ground, the walkers immediately started to rock it. I struggled to keep myself in the middle so I don't get my fingers eaten.

The cage fell over smacking a walker in the process, blood splattering at me.My arm roughly hit the cage and I winced at the pain.

I got in a somewhat comfortable position supporting myself by pressing my boots to the bottom of the cage. I gripped the thin screwdriver and got to work.

Every walker that smashed its face to the cage gnawing at me got stabbed. Over and over I persistently did this until walkers were piled on top of the cage and I was covered in their blood.

My scent must've disappeared because the rest of the walkers seemed to part away from me.

I was sweaty and lightheaded. I could hardly breathe and the smell of rotten blood and flesh made me sick to my stomach.

My ears started to ring and my vision began to have white spots all over. I have no idea how long it's been.

My eyes kept trying to shut but I was fighting myself. If I let myself pass out I might not wake up, or if I do, i'd wake up in even worse shape than now.

"Let yourself sleep darling." I heard a familiar voice.

It can't be.

"Mom?" I asked, warm tears numbly falling.

She began humming the song she sang when I would have a nightmare. "Que sera sera. Whatever will be, will be. The futures not ours to see..."

"There was a small opening through the lifeless body's on the cage and I could see a glimpse of her daisy sundress. The dress she wore the day she got into the car accident.

"Mom?!" she didn't answer and kept humming the song I hadn't heard since I was 14. I saw another blurry figure in a flannel, what my dad was wearing the day he had to leave.

"Dad?"

"Find a home? A safe one?"

"I did I just-"

"She left." I heard Cali's voice.

"No Cali I had to, I had to! I'm sorry!" I began crying and my ears kept ringing loudly, my vision still cloudy and dry.

"You chose to leave us, to leave Olli." I heard Cody.

"Please-"

"I'm your mother.." I heard Regina.

"You are not, You are not!!" I shouted.

My real mom was still humming in the back and then suddenly I heard all their voices at once.

"Stop please..." I cried.

"You didn't look-you left- you chose - You left us- i'm your-"

"Stop!!" I screamed. The lifeless body's of the dead were pulled off the cage replaced by the rest of the gnawing creatures.

I screamed through my tired cries as I continued slaying them. Taking all of my anger and pain, using it as fuel.

Soon there was silence. Absolute silence. I dropped the screwdriver and let myself close my eyes.